The International Fire Code (“the Fire Code”), 2015
edition, is hereby adopted by reference. A copy shall be kept on file
in the office of the City Secretary. Unless deleted, amended, expanded
or otherwise changed in this Code of Ordinances, all provisions of
the Fire Code as adopted in this section shall be fully applicable
and binding and of full force and effect within the City.
(Ordinance 6507, sec. 1, adopted 12/6/11; Ordinance 6851, sec. 1, adopted 8/16/16)
There is hereby established a Bureau of Fire Prevention within
the fire department. The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be operated
under the supervision of the Fire Chief and shall be responsible for
the enforcement of the provisions of the International Fire Code.
The International Fire Code shall be enforced by the Bureau of Fire
Prevention as adopted by this chapter. Under this article, the term
“Fire Code Official” shall mean the Fire Marshal in charge
of the Bureau of Fire Prevention unless the context clearly states
otherwise.
(Ordinance 6507, sec. 2, adopted 12/6/11)
The International Fire Code (“the Fire Code”) is
amended in the following respects.[1]
(Ordinance 6507, sec. 4, adopted 12/6/11; Ordinance 6616, sec. 1, adopted 5/21/13; Ordinance 6731, sec. 1, adopted 9/2/14; Ordinance 6851, sec. 2, adopted 8/16/16; Ordinance 6952, sec. 1, adopted 1/16/18; Ordinance 7252 adopted 9/14/21; Ordinance 7363 adopted 9/6/2022)
[1]
Editor’s note–The 2015 IFC amendments are included as an attachment to this chapter.
(A)
Wherever
the word “jurisdiction” is used in the International Fire
Code it means “the City of Garland.”
(B)
Wherever
the words “the Board” are used, they shall be held to
mean the “Unified Building Standards Board.”
(Ordinance 6507, sec. 5, adopted 12/6/11; Ordinance 6952, sec. 2, adopted 1/16/18)
The Fire Chief is hereby authorized to offer a reward up to
five hundred dollars ($500.00) for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of any person or persons committing the crime of arson
within the City limits. This reward shall be paid out of the general
fund of the City and is not affiliated with Garland Crimestoppers.
(Ordinance 5976, sec. 1, adopted 3/7/06)
For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section:
means any circumstance that calls for immediate action and
in which the element of time in transporting the sick, wounded or
injured for medical treatment is essential to the health or life of
the person. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, accidents
generally, traffic accidents, and acts of violence resulting in personal
injury, and sudden illness.
means any motor vehicle especially designed, constructed,
equipped, and used for transporting the injured or ill in answer to
an emergency call and licensed as such by the state.
means any request for ambulance service that is made by telephone
or other means of communication in circumstances which are, or have
been represented to be, an emergency and requiring immediate ambulance
service.
means the emergency ambulance trip to the place where the
emergency exists, or from the place of such emergency to a hospital,
medical clinic or medical office, or other appropriate destination
for the patient.
means the dispatcher of the Fire Department of the City.
means the dispatcher of the Police Department of City.
means any motor vehicle licensed by the Texas Department
of State Health Services constructed, equipped and used for transferring
the injured or sick under circumstances which do not constitute an
emergency and which have not been represented as an emergency, and
which has been certified as an emergency ambulance by another governmental
entity.
(Ordinance 4848, sec. 2, adopted 3/7/95; Ordinance 5376, sec. 2, adopted 6/15/99; Ordinance 6725, sec. 1, adopted 9/2/14)
(A)
The
Fire Department shall provide emergency ambulance service within the
City. The Fire Department may provide for emergency ambulance service
by using City ambulances, apparatus or equipment, or through an interlocal
agreement with another governmental entity. In a catastrophe, the
Fire Department may provide emergency ambulance service through the
use of the ambulances, apparatus or equipment of another governmental
entity, with or without an interlocal agreement, or through the use
of private ambulance providers, as determined necessary by the Fire
Chief.
(C)
The
person receiving emergency ambulance service and any person contracting
for the service shall be responsible for payment of the fee. A hospital
requesting emergency ambulance service for the purpose of this article
shall be considered the party responsible for payment of the fee.
In case of service received by a minor, the parent or guardian shall
be responsible for payment of the fee.
(D)
The
City Manager, or his designee, shall adopt a Charity Care Policy and
the procedures for administering the policy. The Charity Care Policy
shall provide that the fees charged for ambulance services provided
by the City may be fully or partially waived if the City is entitled
to receive partial reimbursement under the federally approved Ambulance
Supplemental Payment Program for the services provided to the person
as follows:
(1)
A
100% waiver if the person’s adjusted gross income falls below
125% of the federal poverty line;
(2)
A
75% waiver if the person’s adjusted gross income falls below
150% of the federal poverty line;
(3)
A
50% waiver if the person’s adjusted gross income falls below
175% of the federal poverty line; or
(4)
A
25% waiver if the person’s adjusted gross income falls below
200% of the federal poverty line.
(Ordinance 4132, sec. 1, adopted 9/15/87; Ordinance 4619, sec. 1, adopted 8/15/92; Ordinance 4711, sec. 1, adopted 9/21/93; Ordinance 5010, sec. 1, adopted 9/17/96; Ordinance 5376, sec. 2, adopted 6/15/99; Ordinance 5445, sec. 2, adopted 3/7/00; Ordinance 5720, sec. 1, adopted 4/1/03; Ordinance 5847, secs. 1, 2, adopted 9/7/04; Ordinance 6201, sec. 1, adopted 2/19/08; Ordinance 6260, sec. 1, adopted 9/2/08; Ordinance 6319, sec. 1, adopted 6/2/09; Ordinance 6497, sec. 1, adopted 11/1/11; Ordinance 6559, sec. 1, adopted 7/17/12; Ordinance 6672, sec. 1, adopted 2/4/14; Ordinance 7051 adopted 5/7/19; Ordinance 7363 adopted 9/6/2022)
(A)
It shall
be unlawful for any person, either as owner, agent, or otherwise,
other than a member of the Fire Department or an agency of the United
States, to furnish, operate, conduct, maintain, advertise or otherwise
be engaged in the operation of emergency ambulance service, upon the
streets, alleys, or any public ways or places within the City, for
the purpose of picking up patients within the City, except in the
following circumstances:
(1)
It
shall be permissible for a person operating a transfer ambulance in
the City, upon responding to a direct call for non-emergency transfer
ambulance service, to operate such ambulance under emergency conditions,
using emergency equipment, after notifying the police dispatcher and
receiving permission to make an emergency run, when a determination
is made by the transfer ambulance attendant that an emergency exists
requiring the sick or injured person to be transported with all practical
speed to a hospital.
(2)
It
shall be permissible for a person operating a transfer ambulance in
the City, who is performing the service of maintaining an ambulance
at a particular location for a sporting event, to operate such ambulance
under emergency conditions, using emergency equipment, after notifying
the police dispatcher and receiving permission to make an emergency
run, when a determination is made by the transfer ambulance attendant
that an emergency exists requiring the sick or injured person to be
transported with all practical speed to a hospital.
(3)
It
shall be permissible for a person operating a transfer ambulance in
the City, if the place of emergency at which the sick or injured person
was picked up by such ambulance is outside the City limits, and the
ambulance making the emergency run is operated in accordance with
chapter 773 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; provided that the
operator first notifies the police dispatcher of the route over which
the emergency run will be made.
(4)
It
shall be permissible for a person operating a transfer ambulance in
the City on an emergency run when Fire Department ambulances are not
available, and the fire alarm dispatcher requests the operator to
furnish backup emergency ambulance service for the Fire Department.
(B)
All
transfer ambulances operating within the City limits shall comply
with all laws and regulations of the state.
(C)
Use of emergency lights, siren, or speed above the speed limit by a transfer ambulance is prohibited except when such an ambulance is on an emergency run as permitted in subsection (A) above.
(D)
The
City Manager shall have the authority to revoke the right of any person
to operate an ambulance under the authority of this section for failure
to comply with the provisions of this article. Any person whose authority
is so revoked shall have the right to appeal such decision in writing
to the City Council within ten days stating the reasons therefor.
The City Secretary shall notify the appellant within ten days of the
time and place of the hearing by the Council, which shall be within
thirty days of the receipt of such appeal. The decision of the City
Council on such appeal shall be final.
(E)
Private
emergency service providers seeking a letter of approval to provide
emergency medical services within the City pursuant to section 773.0573
of the Texas Health and Safety Code, shall submit a written request
for the issuance of such a letter to the Office of the City Manager.
The matter will thereafter be placed on an agenda for consideration
by the City Council.
(Ordinance 4848, sec. 2, adopted 3/7/95; Ordinance 5376, sec. 2, adopted 6/15/99; Ordinance 6725, sec. 2, adopted 9/2/14)
(A)
Any person, operator, driver or attendant who violates any provision of this article shall be guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion thereof during which any such violation is committed, continued or permitted, and each offense shall be punishable as a misdemeanor in accordance with section 10.05 of this Code.
(Ordinance 5376, sec. 2, adopted 6/15/99)
(A)
The
City Manager or his appointed representative may enter into a reciprocal
agreement with any other governmental entity that:
(1)
Allows
ambulances from another municipality to conduct emergency runs on
the streets of the City when transporting an emergency patient from
such other governmental entity to a hospital.
(2)
Allows
another governmental entity’s ambulances to respond to emergency
calls within the limits of the City when the Fire Department cannot
respond with an ambulance, more ambulances are required than the Fire
Department has available for response, or when an accident occurs
within the City but is adjacent to a neighboring municipality or entity
which responds with an ambulance first.
(B)
Any
governmental entity operating an ambulance on an emergency run within
the City shall notify the fire alarm dispatcher immediately of the
route to be taken by such an ambulance.
(Ordinance 5376, sec. 2, adopted 6/15/99)
